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Urgent Care Treatment Options For Relief

Have you ever had shingles? What you may or may not know is that the virus that causes chickenpox can reactivate and cause shingles, or Herpes Zoster. Many people immediately think of a rash when they hear this. While that is the main symptom of shingles, pain throughout the body can also be a problem for many patients. Our urgent care doctors would be happy to examine your situation and help you get some relief if you’re suffering.

At first, you may not realize what is happening when the onset of shingles occurs, because it develops in slow stages. Early symptoms of shingles include:

Headache

Sensitivity to light

Flu-like symptoms without a fever

It can actually be several days or weeks before the rash associated with shingles appears. First, it’s more likely that you’d feel pain, burning, tickling, tingling, and/or numbness in the area around the affected nerves. Later, the rash can appear anywhere on the body, but it is most common for it to appear on only one side of the body.

The rash starts in the form of blisters and then they scab over. After a few weeks the scabs will go away, but it’s quite possible for the pain to last for a long while. This is the final stage of shingles referred to as postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). The pain associated with PHN most commonly affects the forehead or chest and may make it difficult for the patient to eat, sleep, and do daily activities. In some cases, it may also lead to depression.

Our urgent care doctors can help many patients suffering from shingles by prescribing an antiretroviral drug or steroid to help patients find relief.

If you notice any of the symptoms of shingles, please don’t hesitate to visit any one of our urgent care locations for help. Our First Med Urgent Care locations can be found by clicking here.

First Med Urgent Care: Migraine symptoms

Have you ever been seen at an urgent care for your migraines? If so, you’re not alone! According to the Migraine Research Foundation, nearly 1 in 4 U.S. households includes someone who suffers from migraines. They even reported that 10% of the population, including children, suffer from migraines. Those are astonishing statistics and for many people they aren’t even aware that they could be part of the 36 million people in the USA that suffer from migraines. It is quite possible that you have migraines, but you don’t even realize it.

Here are a few symptoms you may experience during migraines to help you determine if you are getting them:

1.) Pain on one side or both sides of your head
2.) Pain that has a pulsating, throbbing quality
3.) Sensitivity to light, sounds and sometimes smells
4.) Nausea and vomiting
5.) Blurred vision
6.) Lightheadedness, sometimes followed by fainting

After a migraine attacks, you may feel completely washed out. Migraine attacks can cause a considerable amount of pain for hours to days and be very severe. A migraine headache can definitely cause disruption in daily activities for you and your family. If you feel that you or your child may be suffering from migraines which can diminish the quality of life, you might consider seeking medical attention via our urgent care facility. Migraine headaches are often undiagnosed and untreated. If you regularly experience any of the mentioned symptoms of migraine attacks, it might be a good idea to keep a written record of your attacks. Then make an appointment with your urgent care doctor to discuss your headaches. If you already have a history of migraine headaches, you should see your doctor if the pattern changes or your headaches suddenly feel different.